The working group did not agree immediately.
Aria expected that.
Thorne's name alone was enough to divide opinions before the idea was even fully explained.
Some welcomed it right away.
Others… not so much.
"You want to invite critics into one room and give them space to question everything?" one member asked, clearly uneasy. "That sounds less like a summit and more like an organized opposition meeting."
Aria stayed calm.
"Or it becomes a place where opposition is understood and addressed."
"That assumes they want to be convinced," another added.
"I am not trying to convince them," Aria said. "I am trying to engage them."
There was a difference.
A quiet one, but important.
Still, not everyone was comfortable.
Then, unexpectedly, Thornwell spoke.
"I support it."
The room shifted slightly.
That carried weight.
